U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,989 discloses a cardholder which supports or retains a card such as a greeting card. Referring to the summary of the invention section as seen in col. 1 around line 33, “the present invention is a device for holding an article displayed on a supporting surface. Specifically, . . . a cardholder is provided which supports a greeting card. A cardholder is a unitary member comprising two substantially channel shaped holding portions interconnected by a transverse portion. The holding portions form channels for a corresponding leg of the greeting card such that the holder retains the greeting card in an open standing position.”
Referring to col. 2 around line 12, “the cardholder supports a card such as a greeting card about the greeting card legs and in an upright or generally V-shaped open standing position.” Furthermore in col. 2 around line 16, “the cardholder is a unitary member comprising two substantially channel shaped holding portions interconnected by a transverse portion.”
Referring to col. 2 around line 53, “the cardholder is made by bending a single piece of wire. Opposite end portions are bent to form a pair of holder portions downwardly extending from the transverse portion. The holder portions are folded onto themselves to a specified radius to form the pair of integral legs defining a channel there between. The free ends of the legs may be arcuate such that a portion of the legs are positioned in close proximity or abutting each other to provide a pinching or clipping force for retaining the legs of the card.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,100 discloses a note holder which relates to holding note paper and cards. The note holder has a foldable capability and includes a body which is pivotably mounted to a base. The base has an inner space for receiving the body when the note holder is folded. A slot is adapted to hold a piece of paper in the body and several fins are formed in the slot of the body. Referring to col. 1 at line 40 of the summary of the invention section, “The main objective of the invention is to provide a foldable note holder so the note holder can save space when it is not in use and can be easily carried.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,811 discloses a paper holder, which has minimal components and functions by gravitational action to retain the paper. In col. 1 around line 5, “Present invention relates to an improved paper holder for holding paper or the like which can securely, stably retain paper and minimize danger of fingers being caught in moving components during use.” Further down in col. 1 in the summary of the invention at line 55, “Objects are attained by the present invention directed to a paper holder comprising two holding members. The first holding member has a convex holding surface and a second holding member provided with a substantially complementary concave holding surface.”Furthermore around line 65 and continuing into line 2, “Upon placement of the holding members gravity automatically creates opposite moments upon the holding members to bias the surfaces of the first and second holding members whereby paper situated between the surfaces is retained in an erect and somewhat curved state without the need for a separate spring component to bias the surfaces together.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,346 discloses a device for holding a paper sheet. The device is intended to maintain a sheet of paper close to the vertical in order to facilitate viewing, the device has a first holding means and a second holding means cooperating together to provide an initial curvature which makes the sheet rigid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,323 discloses a sheet stand which has a stand body and a ball. The bottom of the sheet is held between the curved holding surface of the sheet stand and the ball. The ball moves toward the curved surface by its own self weight, grabbing the bottom of the sheet bending the bottom portion inside to make the sheet firmer to stand, thus creating greater section modular depth using a curved surface to provide rigidity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,603 discloses a method and device for attaching objects to appliances. The device is directed to an inexpensive display for attaching pictures, notes and the like to appliances. The invention is substantially flexible, lengthwise to form a band which is extended around the perimeter of the outer surface of the appliance. Articles attach to the display by inserting them into least one channel cup lengthwise into the band. A number of short channels may also be cut as a selected predetermined angle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,796 discloses a greeting card holder, with a base and a top joined by an intermediate support. Around the support are placed a plurality of rods which are received at the base and the top. Cards are placed initially in between any two of the rods with the end of the greeting card being deflected by the support to come back such that the spine of the card resides along one of the rods.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,243 discloses a sign holder, which has a flat base of resilient material and two projections. The first projection is convex with a sloped side surface; the second projection is corresponding concave with a sloped side surface spaced from the convex side. Arcuate wedge-shaped trough is thus formed between the side surfaces of the projections. The edge of the signed card or board is inserted in the trough and removably held upright. In the summary of the function in col. 1 around line 43, “An object of the present invention is to provide a reusable sign holder which holds a signed card or board upright without mechanical spring clips or without depending upon the natural resiliency of the signed card.”
U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,504 discloses a stand for menus and the like. The stand supports readily bendable articles such as a menu, a photograph, a display card or the like which is flexible in at least one direction. The stand has three posts, two are along a common axis and the third is displaced laterally from that axis. The item supported can be bent into a concave form rigidly supported by engaging the same between posts.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,768,675 discloses a display device for holding price tags, display cards to show in windows, counters and other places where good are kept displayed. As seen in col. 2 around line 77, “The device is made of resilient materials, with wings and may be pressed towards each other to exert a pinching effect on a card or article.” The device has a base, upwardly converging wings and the wings may be in one piece with the base and bent upward and inwardly from opposite edges. The base can be rectangular. The free edge portions of the wings terminate close to one another but are spaced sufficiently apart to provide a slot to receive a card, mirror, or other article which is desired to be supported by the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,681,586 discloses a display card holder. The invention is to provide a holder which is relatively flat and adapted to rest on the floor of a show window or similar support. It provides support for thin advertising and like cards without additional supporting means for the upper ends of the cards. The slots are slightly inclined from the vertical with the slots preferably curved. The lower edge of the card is inserted in the slot; the slot causes the card to assume a slight horizontal curvature, which efficiently renders the card self-supporting and thus it is unnecessary to provide any means for holding the upper edge of the card.